Polk County is putting $90 million into County Road 557.
County commissioners on Oct. 6 approved a $90 million construction contract with Jr. Davis Construction Company to widen the road.
The project runs about 5.7 miles. It starts at W. Alfred St. in Lake Alfred and heads north, ending just south of the I-4 interchange.
If you’ve driven 557, you know why. It’s two lanes, it’s busy, and getting stuck behind a truck is basically part of the route.
$17 million a mile
At the meeting, Commissioner Wilson pointed out just how expensive road building has gotten. He said construction on this project works out to about $17 million per mile.
And 557 isn’t even the most expensive one. He said Thompson Nursery Road is running about $20 million a mile.
When does work start?
No start date was announced. Under the contract, work begins once the county issues the contractor a notice to proceed, so don’t expect cones tomorrow.
One piece has a deadline already. The bid documents say a new traffic signal at CR 557 and Old Lake Alfred Road has to be done by April 1, 2027, under an agreement with the developer building on that corner.
Which road should be next?
Polk keeps growing, and the roads are playing catch-up. So which road in Polk do you think needs widening next?
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